Moms Mabley Monument Launch Fund

I am proposing to sculpt a larger-than-life bronze statue of the iconic comedian Moms Mabley to be installed at a special place in downtown Clemson Plaza, Brevard, North Carolina, the city of her birth. Moms Mabley was not only the first Black female comedian; she was the first stand up comic. Ever.

Loretta Mary Aiken was born in Brevard, North Carolina, March 19, 1894. Known by her stage name, Jackie "Moms" Mabley, was an American stand-up comedian and actress. Few people can be called a national treasure, but the career and life of Moms Mabley is unique and meaningful in all the categories our nation and the world have used to describe courage, talent, and influence for good. She left Brevard at 14 years of age and subsequently resided in Ohio, Chicago, and New York City. In her performances she always claimed proudly to be a North Carolina mountain girl. She loved and praised the beauty of her land of origin and her true North Carolina home.

The African American community in Brevard, NC, is a small and unique expression of black life in a small southern town. It has been an observation of mine as a long time resident of Brevard that the local knowledge of Moms, and of who and what she was, is being lost over time. The moniker of “Moms” was poetic in that she believed she was everyone's mother. Her panoramic life included Vaudeville and, panning to the front stage of the Apollo in Harlem, as its first woman comedian.

Public art is an investment in cultural capital that goes far beyond tourism, improved aesthetics, better business traffic, increase in building occupancy, or eradication of blight. Public artworks contribute to a town’s unique identity, its cultural cohesiveness, and its sense of place.

By the time this work is completed, I will have solicited large amounts of money from celebrities and the wealthy seeking notoriety. Your contribution means more to me. If you feel like you could champion this among friends, supporting art is the best money spent. It’s even better when it’s for something you can take pride in. You and I have lived to see the statues taken down. It time to reimagine the monuments for the future.